Tell me about: the Master of Finance

Finance is a vital function that can sustain the longevity and success of an organisation. Professor Jing Shi, Program Director, explains how students can benefit from studying the Master of Finance.

What are the advantages of studying the Master of Finance?

Students will develop advanced financial decision-making skills and knowledge of econometrics and financial markets that are refined through our applied learning approach. The program will give you the capacity to analyse business problems or weaknesses and apply optimal solutions in real-world situations.

Who is suited to this program and why should they choose RMIT?

To be eligible for this program students must have completed either a Bachelor degree or equivalent, a higher level qualification in a business discipline that includes quantitative studies from a recognised tertiary institution, or an RMIT Graduate Certificate in Finance.

RMIT has been teaching the Master of Finance for over 30 years, has a 5-Star QS ranking for excellence in higher education and is 16th in the world among universities less than 50 years old (2016–17 QS Top 50 Under 50 index). In the 2017 QS Graduate Employability Rankings RMIT is ranked seventh in Australia and 71-80 in the world on the basis of employer reputation, alumni outcomes, partnerships with employers, employer-student connections and graduate employment rate.

What makes finance such a rewarding area to study?

Finance opens doors to diverse opportunities for exploring and developing your career. The industry landscape is continuously evolving and every day is different, which results in a stimulating day-to-day work-life. Financial professionals are also able to see their influence on the growth and success of people and organisations on a micro and macrolevel when meeting goals, which is always exciting.

What type of roles will be available for graduates?

There are an abundance of positions available for graduates in commercial and investment banks, credit unions and private banks, brokerage firms, financial planning services and more. Graduates typically move into high demand positions such as Financial Investment Advisors and Managers, Financial Brokers and Fund Managers. These positions are all in high demand with a strong projected growth to 2020 according to Job Outlook.

What is the study/student experience like?

The delivery of the program consists of classroom teaching, opportunities for research and collaborative research projects, simulations in the RMIT Trading Facility (RTF) and opportunities for engagement with industry and related industries through seminars, workshops and global intensives.

The RTF is the largest tertiary-based facility of its type in Australia, allowing students to access live market data feeds from Thomson Reuters and financial analysis tools used by world-leading banks and investment firms. The facility cultivates experiential learning whereby participants use market data in real-time trading simulations and are responsible for managing transactions, rectifying errors and more.

What and how will students learn?

The program prepares students for problems they will encounter in business, equipping them with the skills to identify and explore complex elements and develop innovative solutions.

In the first year of the program, the aim of the courses is to provide students with the fundamental theoretical aspects of finance. This allows students to develop a solid foundation for later studies in finance and will enable you to provide discipline-based solutions within a business, professional or public context.

In the second year of the program, students will develop a sound knowledge base and acquire a thorough understanding across specific areas of finance. Most units involve a component of research project where students must demonstrate their ability to interact with industry, complete an activity in a work context and work in a multidisciplinary team.